Jeni Britton Bauer

Jeni Britton Bauer is the founder of and chief creative officer at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. While studying art and art history at Ohio State University, Jeni blended essential oils and considered a career in perfumery. It was this interest in scent that led her to ice cream, and continues to inspire her to create uniquely-flavored ice creams.

Jeni’s art background inspires her creative process in the kitchen. “An artist is first a researcher. Gathering information, configuring and reconfiguring components, and working and reworking texture,” says Jeni. “Our whole company adheres as much to an artist’s credo as that of business — that we keep searching, we are never finished, always critical of our own work, and always willing to devote whatever it takes to make ice creams, service, and artwork that only we can make.”

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is a certified B Corporation, a corporate designation for companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Partnering with Ohio farms, Direct Trade growers and producers, and women-led businesses, Jeni’s employs a diverse working community and incorporates recycling programs into its business model.

Jeni’s first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, is a New York Times bestseller and winner of a James Beard Award. Jeni’s latest book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts, was published in 2014. In 2015, she was dubbed one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. Most recently, she was awarded an honorary doctorate in business administration from Ohio State University.